Burial Furnace

Hua Nongying then took out two red beads from her sleeve and handed them over: "These are the refining cores. You can refine them by dripping your blood."

It is about the size of a thumb, round in shape, and glows with a soft red light.

The surface has some fine patterns, like some kind of ancient runes, faintly exuding a mysterious aura.

"Old man, these are treasures that we and our master risked our lives to obtain. There are only two of them, and we're giving them both to you." Qi Jiaojiao's tone carried a hint of self-satisfaction as she looked at Zhang Yuan with bright eyes. "You can't let down your master's deep affection for you."

"Absolutely no abandonment after starting something, old man, you know that?" Hua Jinhuan echoed, his tone a mix of joke and seriousness.

"Old man, when are you going to confess to your master?" Liu Mei teased, her peach blossom eyes scanning back and forth between Zhang Yuan and Hua Nongying, her eyes full of mischief.

Hua Nongying's face instantly turned as red as the sunset, the color spreading all the way to her ears, and even her neck was tinged with a light pink.

These rebellious disciples are utterly disrespectful, daring to make fun of their master.

She opened her mouth as if to scold him, but didn't know what to say.

Zhang Yuan was also struggling to keep up, so he quickly took over the two refining cores.

"Thank you, junior sister. You're so kind to me," he said sincerely, his voice filled with gratitude and emotion.

With these two war puppets, I won't have to mind the shop myself anymore.

He would only step in if someone tried to renege on their debt or demanded a discount.

That would give you more time to cultivate yourself and more time to enjoy life.

He bit his fingertip, squeezed out two drops of blood, and dripped them onto the two red beads.

It was absorbed instantly, as if it had been dried by a sponge, leaving not a trace.

He developed a mysterious connection with the beads.

The feeling was strange, as if an invisible thread connected him to the two beads.

He could clearly sense the presence of the beads, as naturally as he could sense his own heartbeat.

He could even sense a certain structure inside the bead, complex and precise, filled with mysterious power.

The bead flew up automatically, drifted towards the two war puppets, and went into their mouths.

The two lifeless statues instantly came to life.

A ghostly blue light shone in their eyes, like two will-o'-the-wisps burning.

A clicking or rattling sound came from inside the body, like some kind of mechanism in operation.

A faint white mist rose from the joints, accompanied by a slight hissing sound.

A moment later, they moved.

First, he turned his neck, making a cracking sound, and then he moved his arms and legs.

The movements were a little stiff at first, but they quickly became smooth and natural, just like a real person.

Then, they all clasped their hands in a salute to Zhang Yuan, their voices deep and resonant: "Greetings, Master."

"From now on, you'll be called Ah Da, and you'll be in charge of watching the shop." Zhang Yuan pointed to one of the war puppets, then pointed to another, "This one will be called Ah Er, and you'll be in charge of guarding the door."

"Yes, Master," Ah Da and Ah Er replied respectfully.

Ah Da turned around and strode towards the entrance of the mansion, standing there like a guardian deity, motionless.

Its sharp eyes scanned the street outside the door, and no movement could escape its notice.

Ah Er walked behind the counter, sat down, and looked seriously at the shop door, waiting for customers to come in.

It sat upright with its back straight and its hands on its knees, looking very dutiful.

Because Zhang Yuan shared some of their memories, they were naturally very skilled.

It even knows the price of cremation and the conversion of spirit stones clearly, making it far more intelligent than the robot in its previous life.

Cultivation civilization is indeed powerful.

"Let's test their abilities," Qi Jiaojiao suggested.

The three beauties exchanged glances and all revealed mischievous smiles.

They went to the counter and said they needed to dispose of the body.

Ah Da immediately stood up and politely led them to the cremation hall. Pointing to the furnace, he said, "Put the body in."

The four beauties didn't hesitate either; they took out body bags from their spatial rings and threw them into the furnace.

Body bags come in all sizes; some are bulging, while others are flat.

The flames in the stove suddenly shot up, making a whooshing sound.

The body bag shattered rapidly in the flames, revealing the corpse inside.

Some are complete, while others are incomplete.

A dark blue light flashed in Ah Da's eyes, and he instantly sensed the cultivation levels of all the corpses.

"A total of twelve corpses," it said, its voice flat and mechanical. "Eleven Foundation Establishment cultivators and one Golden Core cultivator. The cremation cost is twenty-two mid-grade spirit stones and two high-grade spirit stones."

"Our overnight stay is free," Qi Jiaojiao said without hesitation.

For them, spirit stones are never enough; they save them wherever possible.

Anyway, Zhang Yuan's business is so good, he shouldn't be short of spirit stones.

"Then please go to room number one on the second floor next door," Ah Da said matter-of-factly, gesturing for them to proceed.

Zhang Yuan's lips twitched.

The intelligence of the war puppets is indeed very high, no less than that of real people.

He hadn't even mentioned the free overnight stay, yet Ah Da had already handled it perfectly.

Moreover, it knows how to arrange rooms and how to guide guests.

They're in for a treat from now on.

Zhang Yuan led the four of them to the second floor of the mansion.

The living room on the second floor is slightly smaller than that on the first floor, but it is also decorated very elegantly.

Several calligraphy and paintings hang on the wall, their brushstrokes fluent and their artistic conception profound.

Several potted plants sat on the windowsill, swaying gently in the night breeze and emitting a faint fragrance.

From the window, you can see the night view of Aoki Town, with thousands of lights twinkling like stars, creating a unique charm.

Zhang Yuan sat down in the main seat.

Qi Jiaojiao immediately snuggled into his arms, curling up against his chest like a lazy cat.

Liu Mei and Hua Jinhuan sat on either side of him, each with one arm around his, intimately close.

"Old man, tell me the truth, do you have feelings for our master?" Qi Jiaojiao asked, tilting her head back and blinking her eyes, her eyes full of cunning.

"Yeah, if you're not interested, then don't bother our master." Hua Jinhuan chimed in.

"I think he must have something in mind, otherwise why would he accept such a valuable battle puppet?" Liu Mei said with a grin. "That's a treasure that Master risked his life to get."

The three apprentices chatted amongst themselves, constantly teasing Zhang Yuan and Hua Nongying.

"You...you're talking nonsense."

Hua Nongying sat in the chair opposite, her face as red as a ripe apple. Finally, she couldn't help but speak, her voice tinged with embarrassment and helplessness.

"Master, we're trying to help you," Qi Jiaojiao said matter-of-factly. "What if someone else snatches the old man away if you don't take the initiative?"

"Yes, Master, the new manager of the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, Daiya, is quite a beauty," Hua Jinhuan added, "If she develops feelings for the old man, then we'll be in trouble."